Don’t Take the Bait! Fight Phishing with IT Support in LA

With old threats evolving and new threats appearing daily, the need for IT support in LA is more imperative than ever. Hiring a third-party provider of managed security services ensures businesses can keep such threats at bay without using up their resources or shifting priorities away from their main objectives.

Nevertheless, it’s good to stay updated on what you’re up against. Many cybercrimes are successfully committed not only because of outdated security systems on the businesses’ part, but also because of effective social engineering on the cybercriminals’ part.

The Link between Social Engineering and Phishing

Social engineering is the use of deceptive tactics to trick people into sharing confidential data with the intention of using it for fraudulent reasons. When people are unaware of the dangers, their actions can cause major breaches.

An example of a threat that relies on human error is phishing, which is the practice of sending fake emails that seem like they come from legitimate companies. Many people willingly give out personal information such as passwords and credit card numbers when asked because the emails look real enough.

In recent years, email systems have grown more sophisticated when it comes to filtering out phishing messages. However, phishers have stepped up their game, too. They’ve now moved to mobile attacks.

The Rise of SMS Phishing

According to online statistics portal Statista, 30.9% of the global population is using smartphones in 2017. With almost a third of the world using smartphones, it’s lucrative for phishers to target mobile users. Thus, SMS phishing (sometimes called smishing) is fast becoming rampant.

With SMS phishing, users will receive fake text messages with a link to a site on their mobile phones. When they click on this link, they will be redirected to a legitimate-looking page where they are asked to supply sensitive information.

Often, the messages claim to come from banks. They say the user’s account got locked or their credit card was charged. Either way, these phishers play on people’s panic over losing their finances.

The Role of a Service Provider

Because SMS phishing relies on social engineering, your task is to educate your employees on how to spot fake messages and not let panic take over, preventing them from becoming victims in the first place. But that’s not a foolproof plan. Even a cautious person can be duped, especially if a message is meticulously designed to look as authentic as possible. What you need is a provider of managed security services and IT support in LA to mitigate risks in case of an incident.

Additionally, a service provider can also detect and block phishing scams through the use of anti-phishing programs. Incidents are minimized— if not eliminated— when phishers can’t reach their targets to begin with. Both prevention and the cure are made available to you to get all your bases covered.

For the best provider of managed security services and IT support in LA, contact us at Advanced Networks. Our expert staff members and cutting-edge equipment work together to deliver you streamlined processes from beginning to end at an affordable rate.

2017-11-08T03:25:10+00:00
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